Love Can Purify the Coldest Flame
by LexaRose
Summary: HET AND YAOI! xover with Inuyasha; Hiei and Kagome meet in the past and ally themselves in the fight against Naraku, but when Kagome goes home to the future she meets Hiei and the Reikai Tantei. Naraku joins up with one of the Tantei's worst enemies! I
1. In the past

Title: Love Can Purify the Coldest Flame Author: Alexis – mezzomonkey@earthlink.net Pairings: eventual Inuyasha+Kagome; eventual Hiei+Kurama; Miroku+Sango; Yuusuke+Keiko Rating: let's just say R to play things safe, yes? Warnings: hmm...crossover, AU, shounen ai/yaoi, het, potential bad language, some degree of violence, fangirly Japanese, corny jokes, sap, angst of the romantic nature, blah blah blah. Disclaimer: Don't own them, this has been thoroughly established already. Our little discussions on this are getting tedious, ne?  
  
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The thieves' camp was nestled in a grove of trees between two villages. The sounds of their carousing and revelry interrupted the peaceful calm of the forest. A small boy, probably only five years old with crimson eyes glowing in the light of the fire, stared hungrily while the others ate. He finally gave into the cravings of his stomach and tried to snatch a piece of meat from the roast the whole camp was sharing. As he was about to bring it to his lips, it was smacked from his hands. He was then grabbed by the throat and held aloft by the leader of the band of thieves, an evil man named Onigumo.  
  
"Boy, you dare to take without permission? I tell you what to do, when to sleep, eat, steal. I found you, I own you!" The child's malevolent eyes burned with crimson fire, and didn't even flinch as a numbing blow struck his left cheek. At this, Onigumo was incensed. "Is that so? Well then, I know how to make you scream in fear of me! I know how to make you obey my will!"  
  
It seemed that something deep inside the child snapped. Whereas before he was perfectly still, enduring the yelling and punishment, he was now trembling with a rage ready to consume the both of them. The child was no longer able to control his youki, as he had been all this time with the humans, and it responded to his fury, igniting the object of his rancor into a fiery ball. He then darted off with remarkable speed, to escape the repercussions of the other thieves.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Fifty Years Later*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Inuyasha! OSUWARI!" yelled Kagome, as Inuyasha slammed face-first into the ground with a loud, disgruntled "AARRRGGGHHH!!!" Shippo, who had been Inuyasha's intended object of torture for eating the last bag of potato chips, was now sitting on Kagome's shoulder, his tail twitching in amusement. Sango and Miroku, who were sitting on the other side of the fire, chuckled at this all-too-familiar sight.  
  
"Houshi-sama, do you think he will ever learn?"  
  
"No my dear Sango, I do not think so. I believe Kagome-sama said, 'You cannot teach an old dog new tricks'."  
  
At that, all the people situated around the fire laughed, except for one pissed off inu-hanyou, who after prying himself from the ground just crossed his arms over his chest and let out an annoyed "Feh".  
  
As a three-quarter moon raised high in the night sky, Kagome started to feel restless. Getting up slowly, so as to not let a certain perverted monk see anything he shouldn't, she then smoothed her skirt and gave a smile to her companions. "I'm going to go for a stroll down by the water; I'll be back in a little while."  
  
With that, she slung her bow and quiver of arrows across her back, and set out in the direction of the stream they had camped by. Reaching her destination, she stretched out in the sweet grass along the banks, and stared up at the stars.  
  
It's amazing how different things look when you're used to seeing the stars through a haze of centuries of pollution. The night sky is so beautiful here, like millions of diamonds glittering in a black velvet background.  
  
Kagome's thoughts then started to drift towards a certain grumpy hanyou, and she frowned. He always seemed to have that effect on her mood lately. Yes, he was a friend, and a cherished one at that, but the thought of the time she spent hoping for his attention to waver from her past incarnation really hurt. It pained her to think that she wasn't even worthy of the attention or love that an effigy of dirt and bones received.  
  
Looking into the reflective surface of the stream, she stared at herself, cursing her likeness to Kikyou. "It's just not fair! I'll never be seen as myself, only as a poor substitute. There's nobody else for me, not here or at home." She sniffled for a second, and then firmed her resolve. She had promised herself that she wouldn't shed any more tears over her predicament.  
  
Kagome flopped over onto her back again, and then realized that she was no longer alone; she felt the presence of a demon. Grabbing her bow, she then began to nock an arrow and point it in the direction in which she sensed the demon presence. With courage she didn't feel, she stood and called out "I know you're up there, you might as well come out and tell me what you want!"  
  
Suddenly a dark shape, moving faster than her eyes could see, materialized in front of her. She found herself looking into bright crimson eyes set in a handsome face, framed by black spiky hair offset by a white starburst. He was approximately her height, and was dressed all in black, a katana belted to his waist.  
  
"Hn. I do not seek your jewel ningen; you need not fear me taking it." At hearing his rich baritone voice state this, Kagome was more than a little shocked. She had never met a demon, besides Sesshoumaru, who did not want to possess the Shikon no Tama.  
  
Her face had to have been reflecting the surprise she felt, for the next words out of his mouth were, "And please, close your mouth. You look like a fish gasping for air." He then crossed his arms over his chest, as he watched her snap her mouth shut, a rosy tint coloring her cheeks.  
  
She then lowered her bow, placing the arrow back in her quiver, and looked at the stranger inquisitively. "Who are you? And if you don't want the jewel, then why are you here?"  
  
My name, the stranger thought. It's been a long time since anyone has asked my name. "Hiei." At this Kagome was slightly surprised, thinking at first that he didn't exactly seem like a mountain, but then she rethought her opinion. "It suits you."  
  
It was now Hiei's turn to be taken aback. Usually whenever he told someone his name, they would remark about how his small stature did not live up to his namesake mountain. Feeling quite awkward, and not knowing what else to say, he simply uttered a non-committal "Hn".  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes at that, it's just like Inuyasha and his "feh" as a response to anything. "So why are you here? Since you say you're not interested in the jewel, I will trust you on that. So there must be another reason."  
  
"It would serve you better to be less trusting. I am here, though, because I seek vengeance on a man. He was known as Onigumo, and is now better known as the demon, Naraku. I know that you too hunt him and fight against him."  
  
At this response, Kagome smiled. Well then, it is always nice to have another comrade-in-arms against Naraku. "It is nice to know that we are not the only ones who fight against the evil he has caused." She then thought about what he said, and was confused. "Wait, you called him Onigumo. How did you know that? You can't possibly be old enough to have known him back then."  
  
At this Hiei smirked, "Actually, yes I am old enough. I am approximately fifty-six years old now, so yes, although I was young I did know that evil creature as Onigumo. I have been trying to finish the job I started way back then, and kill him."  
  
"Well then, why don't you come back to camp with me, and you can meet the others with whom I travel. Besides, I've been gone awhile, and if I don't return soon a certain cranky hanyou-" At this she was cut off by a loud yell of "KAGOME!!!"  
  
Inuyasha then ran into the scene, clearly irritated. He grabbed Kagome's wrist and started pulling her back to camp. "Oi, wench, what are you doing wandering about alone?" At this, a black blur came up to him and he felt the point of a sword being pressed into his neck. "If you know what's good for you, you won't call her that again. Now release her wrist, before I leave you with permanent damage."  
  
Inuyasha growled in malcontent, but also released Kagome's wrist. "And who is this? Are we picking up strays again?" Hiei bristled at this, "I'm sure you'd know all about strays, dog-boy." The two of them glared at each other in stony silence, Inuyasha feeling superior because of his height in comparison to the other demon.  
  
Kagome sighed, "Inuyasha, this is Hiei." At this, Inuyasha snorted and looked away, which made Kagome glare at him. "He's seeking revenge against Naraku, so I invited him to join our group."  
  
Inuyasha whipped his head around, golden eyes molten with anger. "No. Don't you think I have enough people to protect in battle? You're certainly not any help, always needing to be rescued. And now you want to bring another", his eyes slid derisively over Hiei's form, "child for me to baby-sit!"  
  
Hiei drew his katana, and was ready to show the hanyou that he was indeed no child, and needed nobody's protection, when he heard Kagome speak. "OSUWARI!!!" Inuyasha slammed into the ground with incredible force, spitting out colorful curses on the way down. To this, Hiei merely said "hn" but inside was wondering how this ningen had the power to do such a thing.  
  
"Hiei, come on follow me. I promise you that my other friends are much nicer than this one," and she offered him a brilliant smile. Hiei shrugged and followed her towards camp. They were then greeted by a scream of "HENTAI!!!" followed by the loud crack of hand meeting face. Hiei couldn't help but wince at the sound of the blow, thanking the Gods that he wasn't on the receiving end of that slap. Kagome was remarkably unfazed by these very commonplace acts, and walked up to her companions, when she was promptly knocked over by a fast-moving ball of fluff.  
  
Landing on her back, she giggled and cuddled the ball of fluff closer to her. "Hello Shippo, did you miss me?" "Yes 'kaachan, of course I did! You left me to Inuyasha's grumbling and Miroku being, well...Miroku!" answered the kitsune child. At the word "'kaachan" Hiei felt his indifferent mask slip for a moment, betraying his shock. 'Kaachan? But she's a ningen, and he's a full-blooded kitsune. Hiei finally noticed the other two ningens, who were currently looking at him with a great deal of curiosity.  
  
"Oh! How rude of me! Hiei, these are my friends Sango and Miroku. And this adorable fluffball is my adopted kit, Shippo. Everyone, this is Hiei. He too has a very long-standing grudge against Naraku." At this, Sango and Miroku nodded and smiled, uttering sounds of welcome.  
  
As Kagome busied herself with dinner preparations, and with keeping Shippo away from the candy inside her bag, Hiei took the opportunity to look around at his surroundings and the people in them. Finally as dinner was ready, Inuyasha came back to camp grumbling about baka wenches and rosaries. As everyone ate their requisite dinner of ramen, Hiei was shocked at how good this strange food was. "I have never had such food before in all my travels. Where does it come from?"  
  
At this Kagome looked slightly flustered and looked at her companions. "It is umm...from my village. Most have not heard of it," at least not in this time, Kagome finished the sentence in her mind. She was not quite ready to tell this stranger her secret. She felt safe with him, but she wasn't sure what he would think of her tale. He'd probably think I was a raving lunatic.  
  
As the now slightly-larger group was getting ready to go to sleep, Kagome turned to their newest compatriot. "Do you need blankets or anything? You didn't have a pack or anything, and I don't want you to get cold." Hiei just looked at her with a slight smirk, and then hopped up into the tree overlooking the spot she had arranged for herself to sleep in. Inuyasha growled, because he had intended to sleep in that very same tree, before the usurper stole his spot. As Inuyasha stalked away to find another tree, Kagome smiled up at Hiei and whispered "good night", before rolling over and falling asleep herself.  
  
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The next day dawned bright and sunny, eliciting a groan from Kagome, who was awakened from a very pleasant dream about a bubble bath and oden back in her own time. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, only to have a hyperactive kitsune jump on her back. "Oof! Shippo! Okay, okay, I'm up!"  
  
With a reluctant stretch, she got up and got ready to start her day. Miroku and Sango were bickering as usual, Shippo was playing with his top, Inuyasha was still in his tree, and Hiei...was nowhere to be found. Frowning slightly, Kagome continued in her task of making everyone breakfast, and then while everyone else was eating, she wandered off in search of their new friend.  
  
Walking through the woods for quite some time, she finally came across the familiar demon. He had taken off his haori and was in the middle of a series of complicated katas with his sword, sweat glistening on his chest in the early morning sunlight. She couldn't help but think, wow...even if he doesn't quite compare with Inuyasha, and just leaned against a tree to watch his graceful yet deadly motions.  
  
Hiei sensed her presence before she even entered the clearing, but continued until he finished his kata. Finally he finished, sheathed his sword, and turned to Kagome. He wasn't even breathing heavily, in spite of his exertions. He raised his eyebrow in silent question, which caused Kagome to blush.  
  
"I came to tell you that breakfast is ready. You probably worked up quite an appetite after all that exercise," she finished with a grin. Hiei nodded almost imperceptibly, and grabbed his haori, draping it over his shoulder. The two walked back to camp in silence.  
  
The sight of the pair walking back together elicited different reactions from their fellow travelers. Miroku, taking in Hiei's lack of shirt and Kagome's faint blush, smiled a very perverted smile and chuckled. Sango blushed slightly, and then averted her eyes. Shippo, sensing Inuyasha's temper flaring, started to laugh uncontrollably and roll on the floor, which caused Kagome to look rather puzzled. Finally, Inuyasha couldn't keep a grip on his anger anymore and approached Hiei, drawing himself up to his full height in an attempt to intimidate the smaller youkai. "Put your clothes on, nobody here wants to see you half-naked!" To this, Hiei merely walked away with a "hn", making no move to put the haori back on. Sango and Kagome, who had both been admiring his sculpted torso, blushed and went off to the far side of camp before anyone else noticed their embarrassment.  
  
With averted eyes, Kagome went to Hiei and brought him a bowl of rice and fish, before returning to where Sango was waiting for her. She then received a subtle elbow to the ribs, along with a questioning glance, which Kagome answered with a barely imperceptible shake of her head. Inuyasha found himself wondering what the two silly wenches were up to now.  
  
Sango, who had already finished her breakfast, thought it was high time she got some answers from Kagome. "I'm going to bathe, would you like to join me Kagome?" She looked at the other girl, her eyes begging her to come along. Kagome smiled at her and nodded her head, going to her backpack to get their bathing supplies.  
  
The pair walked down to the stream in companionable silence, and finally reached an area where the stream created a small pool that was perfect for bathing. Undressing, they both sunk down into the water and reveled in the feel of it against their skin. Kagome's eyes were closed at the sensation, and when she opened them back up she saw Sango regarding her with a serious look on her face.  
  
"Kagome, are you all right? Something seems to have been bothering you of late. You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?" She looked worried, and bit her lower lip.  
  
Kagome sighed, "I've been thinking a lot lately. I've missed out on a good portion of my life by coming here." Before Sango could cut in with the apologies brimming in her eyes, Kagome continued.  
  
"I do not regret this, because it has brought me the dearest friends I could ever hope to have in my life. All I do regret is being the reflection of a woman that Inuyasha loves. It has been almost a year, but I don't think he'll ever be able to fully separate me from Kikyo, no matter how much I wish he could. Perhaps if there was more of me contained in this face, and less of her, things would have worked out differently. And yes, I know that he cares about me, and he always will, as I will always care for him. I just don't know how much longer I can let myself to live on hope that he will eventually recognize me for me, and not just a reincarnation." She then looked down, her hand trailing absently through the water. "I want to be happy...I deserve to be happy. We all do, which is why I am trying so hard to find Naraku and beat him. He has caused so much pain and anguish, not only to us four, but also many others that we have no idea of."  
  
Sango finally interrupted Kagome's confession, "You're right, and you do deserve to be happy, more so than any other person I know. You gave up your entire life to be here with us, traveling all over, fighting demons that even a year ago, you didn't know really existed. I know that we will get through all of this, together. And I know that you will find your own happiness, not only here," she tapped her head, "but also here," she said, moving her hand from her head and placing it over her heart.  
  
Kagome smiled, and a solitary tear escaped to glisten like a diamond on her cheek. "Thank you, sometimes I don't know what I would do without you. You help me keep my sanity, which is a hard thing to do when you're around Inuyasha and Miroku all the time." The pair chuckled lightly at this, both knowing the chaos those two could raise without the least effort on their parts.  
  
Kagome then frowned, a dark cloud settling in her eyes. Sango looked at her, the expression in her face wordlessly asking what was wrong. "I'm going to have to go home soon. I don't know what to tell Hiei. I feel that I can trust him, but I'm scared to confide my secret to him. Demons were hard enough for me to grasp, how hard will it be for him to understand the concept of a time-traveling human?"  
  
Sango thought about this for a second, and then spoke. "Tell him you're going to visit your village, and that you have to go by yourself. Explain that you will return soon, and have him meet you somewhere when you will be coming back. He seems to be rather prideful, so be careful how you put things, so as to not have an argument."  
  
At this Kagome laughed ruefully, "Yes, I'll already have enough of an argument on my hands from Inuyasha when I tell him I won't be back for 5 days. I don't need to have another one with Hiei. Sango, you're always able to put things in prospective and make everything make sense."  
  
Now it was Sango's turn to look down, "Not always."  
  
Kagome eyed her sharply, and then sighed. "Miroku does love you; he just doesn't know how to show it. I think he's afraid. You should know better than anyone that although Miroku thinks he knows women, he's never had feelings for one like this. And frankly, he has no idea what to do besides being his normal, perverted self. I know things will work out in the end for you two; things that are meant to be always do."  
  
Sango looked up at her, a radiant smile gracing her mouth, but her cheeks shone with the trails of spent tears. Kagome smiled back, and attempted to lift the reflective mood that had befallen the two friends. "Enough of this pity party; let's have some fun!" She then proceeded to splash Sango with a huge wall of water created by her hand. Sango shrieked as she got drenched and retaliated.  
  
The sounds of shrieking and splashing reached the camp. If it wasn't also mingled with laughter, feminine taunting and playful cries of revenge, there would have been trouble as the three men left behind in the camp would have been tearing out towards the stream. Instead it was only Miroku who was trying to sneak towards the sounds of splashing and laughter, in an attempt to see the two women without them noticing. As he was grabbed from behind and tossed on the floor, he was surprised to see Hiei and not Inuyasha standing over him with his sword drawn.  
  
"And where do you think you're going?" Hiei glowered at the stupid ningen monk.  
  
Miroku grinned sheepishly and waved his right hand as if to dismiss his earlier plans. "I was merely going to check on Lady Sango and Lady Kagome to make sure they weren't in need of any assistance."  
  
Hiei growled at that, blood-red eyes cold enough to freeze Miroku in place. "If I believed that for one second, I would let you go. But if there had been any hint of them needing any help, I would have already been there faster than you could blink. Now does my continued presence here answer your question to their needing your assistance?" Miroku merely nodded, not wanting to provoke the small demon any further. Hiei just stalked away with a muttered, "baka ningen!"  
  
Finally the sounds of splashing died down, and a few minutes later the girls reappeared in the camp. Sango, having taken what Kagome said down at the stream to heart, turned and smiled at Miroku. "Houshi-sama, you didn't peep on us once! I'm very proud of your restraint." Miroku at least had the decency to look abashed, the tips of his ears turning red.  
  
Hiei just snorted at her comment, which caused Kagome to walk up to him, a questioning look filling her chocolate-brown eyes. He just turned and started walking away, to a place out of earshot of the other two, meaning for Kagome to follow him. Then with an amused glint in his eyes, he spoke, "He didn't go 'peep', as you say, on you because he was stopped from following his inclinations."  
  
At this Kagome smiled, "I knew Inuyasha must have had something to do with Miroku staying away from us, he always tries to sneak up on us while we're bathing." Kagome then felt a cold glare settle on her. She looked up to see Hiei's bloodstained eyes fixed on her.  
  
"Did I say the hanyou stopped him? Baka, I haven't even seen him since breakfast, so how would he have done anything?"  
  
"Ara...I...umm...I'm sorry," Kagome sputtered. "He always tries to stop Miroku; I just assumed...I didn't know..." She looked down at her hands, which were knotted together; a physical show of her anxiety within.  
  
"Yamero, there is no need for such ningen emotions to be overtaking you. Your affections for the hanyou are obvious, but are they worth it? Nothing is worth the pain of loss and abandonment," Hiei interjected coldly.  
  
His eyes glittered like frozen garnets in the morning sunlight. Kagome just stared at them in an attempt to gather her thoughts, and swallowed hard. "Inuyasha will always be my friend, as well as my companion for the duration of my mission. I do love him, and I fear I always will. I have realized that we were not meant to be, but I still cherish the camaraderie that we share. I was hoping that you and I could also become friends."  
  
To this request, he merely replied "hn" before blurring and disappearing, in a burst of speed too quick for the human eye. Kagome frowned, and then turned back towards camp.  
  
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The group had been traveling for a few days now, slowly making their way back towards Kaede's village. Kagome and Hiei were talking again, but were not as close as they had been before their argument, which pleased Inuyasha greatly.  
  
Setting up camp for the night, they would be arriving back in Kaede's village the following day. Kagome went to Hiei to explain to him that she would be going back to her "village", for a while, not relishing the fight she would be having with Inuyasha over the same subject.  
  
"Ano, Hiei? Can I talk to you about something?" Kagome was staring at the pine needles covering the forest floor. Ever since her argument with Hiei, things hadn't been the same between them, and she didn't know how to clear up the uncomfortable tension that now resided between them.  
  
Hiei just looked at her in a way that told her that he was listening. "I have to go back to my village tomorrow, and I'll be gone for five days. I was hoping you would meet me back in Kaede's village when I return." Kagome felt quite silly for requesting this of the fire demon.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Kagome's head shot up at his question, one of the few times he'd actually spoken to her since their falling-out the other day. "Why? I have to see my family, and get more supplies. I also need to see about some...training. I'm usually not gone for so long when I go home, but I don't think that I could do everything I need to get accomplished before then."  
  
"Fine," and then he flitted off to the treetop, to settle in for the night. Kagome sighed, and turned back to the fire, preparing herself for the argument she was sure to get from Inuyasha as soon as he came back from getting water for the evening meal of ramen.  
  
Finally, as the rest of the group was finishing up their suppers, Kagome cleared her throat. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and looked at Kagome's slightly flushed face. "What?"  
  
"Etou...ano sa(1)...I have to go home tomorrow." Kagome then looked down at her hands, knowing that they would be arguing soon enough.  
  
"For how long?"  
  
Kagome looked at him, and said in a very small voice,"...five days?" She then looked back down at her hands, waiting for him to blow up at her.  
  
"Fine. Don't be late." He then got up and jumped into his tree, leaving everyone except Hiei in a state of shock.  
  
"Shinjirarenai(2), he actually didn't fight you about it!" Miroku said this, still dumbfounded. He was incapable of comprehending the reason why Inuyasha was acting so peculiar.  
  
Sango started giggling, soon joined in by Shippo and Kagome at the look on Miroku's face, and the sheer incongruity of the situation.  
  
Everyone finally calmed down and went to sleep, since tomorrow they would be traveling to the well so Kagome could go home.  
  
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The group traveled all of the next day to reach Kaede's village, which is where Inuyasha and Kagome left the others to go to the well. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha before climbing into the well, and waved cheerfully. "Bye Inuyasha! I'll see you in 5 days, and I'll be sure to bring back plenty of ramen, and more potato chips, so Shippo doesn't eat all of them!"  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha replied. "Don't get yourself into any trouble while I'm not around to protect you."  
  
Kagome's smile grew larger at that admission, that's practically him saying he cares about me! And with that she jumped into the well, the blue light enveloping her on her trip to present-day Japan.  
  
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Etou...ano sa – uhhh...listen up Shinjirarenai – I can't believe it 


	2. The other side of the well

Title: Love Can Purify the Coldest Flame Author: Alexis – mezzomonkey@earthlink.net Pairings: eventual Inuyasha+Kagome; eventual Hiei+Kurama; Miroku+Sango; Yuusuke+Keiko Rating: let's just say R to play things safe, yes? Warnings: hmm...crossover, AU, shounen ai/yaoi, het, potential bad language, some degree of violence, fangirly Japanese, corny jokes, sap, angst of the romantic nature, blah blah blah. Disclaimer: Don't own them, this has been thoroughly established already. Our little discussions on this are getting tedious, ne?  
  
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*beep beep beep beep beep*  
  
Kagome rolled over and buried her head under he pillows.  
  
*Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep*  
  
"Uh," she moaned. "Five more minutes!"  
  
*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*  
  
"Ugh! Fine! I'm up!" Kagome slapped at her alarm clock, turning it off. She stretched and rolled out of bed, then hopped into the shower, thanking Kami-sama for hot running water.  
  
Oh it's so nice to be home! Soft bed, hot shower, and ODEN! Already she was looking forward to having her favorite meal for dinner, as her mother promised when she got home last night.  
  
She then got out of the shower and dressed in her school uniform. It was the first day of the school year, and she was now attending the prestigious school, Meiou High, having just scraped by in spite of her frequent absences in junior high.  
  
Looking at the clock, her jaw dropped open. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!" She then ran downstairs and out the door, calling out behind her, "Bye Mama! Sota! Jiichan!"  
  
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The four Reikai Tantei were walking down the street together, having just finished a short mission for Koenma. It was a simple elimination of a rogue demon that escaped to the Ningenkai, a lowly D-Class, which didn't need all of their attention. They were all eager for a fight though, not having been on a mission in a while, so they took their time and enjoyed themselves.  
  
A girl dressed in a Meiou High school uniform was running towards them, obviously late, and accidentally crashed into Kurama, falling backwards and dropping her bright yellow backpack.  
  
Smart Kagome, real smart, she thought as crimson stained her ivory cheeks.  
  
A soft alto broke through her self-deprecating thoughts, "Here, let me help you up." She looked up into beautiful emerald eyes framed by long hair the color of flames, and saw a smile softening his face. She took the proffered hand gratefully, and stood. The boy who helped her was much taller than she, since she was only a little bit over five feet herself.  
  
"My name is Minamino Shuuichi, and these are my friends, Urameshi Yuusuke," he gestured to a boy around his height with dark slicked-back hair and brown eyes, clad in a green school uniform.  
  
Another boy broke in, even taller than the other two, with carrot-colored hair and a blue uniform. "I am Kuwabara Kazuma, and I believe I am in love, dear lady!" Everyone sweat-dropped at this declaration, and Kagome looked at 'Shuuichi' for help.  
  
He smiled and gestured to the other figure with them, who she hadn't noticed yet, since she was looking up at the much taller boys, and her jaw dropped open.  
  
"Hiei," she gasped, and then collapsed in a faint, the small fire demon catching her before she hit the floor.  
  
"Shrimp! What did you do? I was about to ask her out!"  
  
Hiei just glared at the idiot, and then looked back at Kagome, who was stirring in his arms. She blinked and looked into Hiei's intense crimson orbs. "How are...what are you doing here?"  
  
"Hn, I could ask the same of you. You disappear, and then show up again five hundred years later. No ningen can do that."  
  
The other three boys were in varying states of shock at the fact that Hiei and the mysterious girl knew each other, they knew each other five hundred years ago, that Hiei still had her in his arms, and that Hiei was actually TALKING.  
  
"I guess I have some explaining to do. That day when I left to go to my village for a few days? For you that was 500 years ago. For me, it was only yesterday."  
  
Now all four boys were shocked, although you couldn't tell with Hiei, except for the slight tightening of his jaw to keep it from falling open.  
  
"Let's go somewhere that we can discuss this." She then smiled at the other boys, who were beginning to think they had been forgotten. "By the way, I'm Higurashi Kagome. It's nice to meet you all, especially if you're friends of Hiei."  
  
Kurama's good manners took over, even though inside the youko-turned-human was seething with jealousy. "Thank you Kagome-san. Forgive our surprise; we have never had the pleasure of meeting one of Hiei's friends before."  
  
"Fox..." Hiei interjected, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Hah! I knew it," Kagome exclaimed. "I thought you were a kitsune. But...how do you hide your form? Is it something other kitsunes can learn? I'd be able to bring my son here with me, and he could go to school-"  
  
"It's a long story," Kurama cut in. "And no, I don't' think it is something that could be so easily learned...wait! You have a son?" Now Kurama was completely confused on how this young girl could have a kitsune as a son.  
  
"Baka, he's adopted. Does that answer your question?"  
  
Yuusuke finally cut in, "Do you think we can go somewhere to discuss all this? I don't mind the conversation, but we're in the middle of the sidewalk, and people are going to start looking at us funny if we get into more detail about...certain things."  
  
Kagome blushed at this, and nodded. "My family's shrine is not too far from here, and is probably the best place for me to explain everything to you all."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So you see, for about a year I've been traveling through the well into the Sengoku Jidai, helping to retrieve fragments of the Shikon no Tama. My companions and I recently met up with Hiei, on our hunt for Naraku. He must be stopped before he collects the entire jewel. If that happens, there is no telling what the future will be like."  
  
The four Reikai Tantei looked impressed; they had been listening to her story for the past twenty minutes. "So this guy is an S-class youkai, huh? I bet we could take him on!"  
  
Kagome looked puzzled, "S-class? What does that mean? You've fought youkai before? I know Hiei has, and Shuuichi as well I would guess, but the rest of you?"  
  
Kuwabara felt the need to cut in, in an attempt to impress the beautiful girl with them. "We've fought plenty! We just won a big tournament in the Makai, defeating many powerful youkai!"  
  
"Bakayarou, we won without any help from you."  
  
"What was that, shrimp? I'll beat you right now!"  
  
"Onegai shimasu, everyone stop it. And Kagome-san, please, you can call me Kurama; I am Shuuichi only to those who do not know my story. I was a silver youko, and had lived for centuries, only to be struck down by a hunter. Instead of dying, I chose to go to the Ningenkai, and inhabit the body of a child not yet born until I healed."  
  
"Okay, but how do you all fight youkai? And why are two demons allied with two humans? I do travel with them, but there are special circumstances surrounding that, most would never align themselves with those considered so inferior."  
  
To that, Kurama chuckled, and explained the origins of the Reikai Tantei, and what he and Hiei had done to be working with the group.  
  
"Hiei, I don't understand why you would do something like that. I'm glad you're okay, the punishment could have been much worse."  
  
"Eh, the shrimp is like that. Causing trouble, picking fights..." At this point in Kuwabara's rant, smoke started to rise from the bandages encasing Hiei's right arm, his blood-red eyes snapping with anger. But before he could retaliate, Kagome swung her hand around, connecting with Kuwabara's face, knocking him to the ground.  
  
"Don't tell me what Hiei's like. Technically, I've known him longer than you have, about 500 years longer! And if you weren't being so rude all the time, maybe he wouldn't get into fights with you! I wish I had one of Kaede's rosaries, so that I could tell you "osuwari" whenever you say something like that!"  
  
Yuusuke nudged Hiei, and whispered, "Man, she's as scary as Keiko. I'm glad I haven't gotten on her bad side. I'd hate to be Kuwabara right now."  
  
To this, Hiei only smirked, and replied, "Yet."  
  
Kurama laughed, agreeing with Yuusuke, though inside he was very curious as to the relationship between Hiei and Kagome. The recalcitrant fire demon seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for the time-traveling girl. It rankled him that he might be five hundred years too late to win the half- Koorime's affections, especially since he had been so drawn to him since their very first meeting a couple of years prior.  
  
As if reading his thoughts, Hiei glanced at the youko-turned-human, and cocked an eyebrow at him, as if in an attempt to dissuade him from thinking the sanjiyan had such warmer, ningen emotions. He didn't live for five and a half centuries as the Forbidden Child of the Koorime by being soft. He did what was needed to survive in the harsh reality that is the Makai.  
  
Kurama's gaze turned introspective, as he recalled the first time Hiei showed his Kokuryuuha at the Ankoku Bujuitsuukai. Seeing him use such a powerful attack, watching the pain he was in afterwards as he tried to master its use, that was when he realized that he felt more than a mere attraction for the temperamental youkai. I remember after his fight with Bui, rewrapping the wards around his arm, and watching over him as he slept off the effects of the drain on his youki. Although I tried to read, it was hard to tear my eyes away from the sight of him. Rarely have I ever seen him so vulnerable, perhaps not even since our first meeting. We fought, and I took him in to heal his injuries. Even at that first meeting, he was striking to me, and I wanted to know him better. He has grown to be my best friend, but I cannot stop myself from wanting more!  
  
Kurama finally realized that everyone was looking at him, seeing that he was focused on something other than their topic of conversation. With a nervous chuckle, he spoke up. "Sumimasen, what were we talking about?"  
  
Kagome smiled brightly at him, Yuusuke elbowed him for drifting off like that, Kuwabara just looked confused at the out-of-character action, and Hiei kept that deeply penetrating gaze on him, as if trying to read every one of his secrets.  
  
Kagome decided to break the ice, saying, "Yuusuke-kun was saying that he'd find out from Koenma if Naraku has been active in modern times. I've only come across a shard once here at home, and I must say that it was quite a mess. Thank goodness for Inuyasha, or else I bet all of Tokyo would have been eaten by that Noh mask!"  
  
Kurama nodded, and then smirked at Yuusuke. "That was a good idea, are you sure you came up with it all by yourself?"  
  
"Oi! I've had good ideas before! They're usually just spur-of-the-moment things though; we're all not meant to be master tacticians like you!"  
  
Kagome looked over at Hiei, "Is it always like this when you are all together?"  
  
He shook his head in response. "No, it's usually worse. The baka is being remarkably quiet today."  
  
Kuwabara took offense to this, leaving off his musings on Kurama's actions as of late. "Teme! How dare you speak of the great Kuwabara Kazuma like that! I shall fight you right now to uphold my honor!"  
  
Behind Kuwabara, Kurama and Yuusuke were mouthing the words to Kuwabara's speech with accompanying movements, much to the amusement of Kagome. Seeing her laughter, he turned around and saw the pair trying to look innocent or at least as innocent as a juvenile delinquent and a centuries- old youko can look.  
  
Kuwabara looked confused again, and Yuusuke just laughed, taking out his compact communicator to call Botan. The blue-haired ferry girl's picture popped up in the mirror part of the compact, an ever-present smile on her face.  
  
"Yuusuke! Isn't this a surprise! You're actually contacting me of your own free will? Praise Enma, this is a day that will live in history!"  
  
The others snickered at this very apt description of events, whereas Yuusuke had a look on his face that was a cross between self-righteous indignation and chagrin. Not that he was quite sure of what those words meant, let alone what they looked like.  
  
"Anyway, we need to know about a specific demon, going by the name of Naraku. We met a girl who was fighting him...the catch is that it was five hundred years ago."  
  
At this admission, Botan's jaw dropped open in surprise. "I don't know anything off the top of my head, but I'll speak with Koenma-sama, and we'll look into it. I'll contact you when I know something."  
  
"Thanks Botan, ja!" And with that, Yuusuke closed the comm., and grinned at everyone. "No problem, I'm sure we'll find out the deal with this demon soon enough."  
  
Kagome smiled brightly, and turned to Yuusuke. "Thank you so much for your help. Naraku has just caused so much pain and suffering to so many people. All of my friends have been touched by his cruelty, even Hiei."  
  
At this admission, all eyes turned toward the fire demon, who was glowering at the floor. Kuwabara then turned his eyes to Kurama, feeling something strange with his reikan coming from the attractive youko. Kurama was smarting over the fact that some ningen girl knew something about Hiei's past that he didn't, that Hiei had never bothered to share with him, even though they were close friends. Finally, he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Baka! Don't make something out of nothing. He is your comrade, and fighting partner. If he didn't need me to steal the Reikai treasures, I'd probably have never seen him again! And with that dismal thought, he stood and turned to face everyone.  
  
"Well, I should probably try to head into school. Missing won't hurt model- student Shuuichi's reputation, but if 'Kaasan found out, she'd be worried. I'll see you all later. Kagome-san, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I hope we can be of some assistance to you. Ja ne, minna-san!" With that Kurama turned to leave.  
  
"Kurama-kun, wait! I forgot all about school in the excitement. It's my first day at Meiou High, may I walk with you?"  
  
Kurama smiled and nodded, while Yuusuke barked with laughter. "Have fun dealing with his fan club, Kagome! Showing up with their darling 'Shuuichi', they'll either love you or be totally jealous of you."  
  
At this statement, Hiei's eyes flashed with anger for a moment, before being covered again by his indifferent mask. Kurama blushed rather attractively, despite his red hair, and waved away the remark. "It's not as bad as all that, they're exaggerating."  
  
"Hn. Those ningen females stare at you like a pack of wolves on a fresh kill."  
  
Kurama, never resisting the chance to tease the object of his affections, met this statement with a quick rejoinder. "Why Hiei, I didn't know you cared enough to protect me from the big, bad ningen girls."  
  
Hiei did not dignify that with a reply, turning away to hide the slight flush brought to his cheeks by Kurama's words.  
  
And with a few parting words, the group of teenagers went on their own separate ways.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuwabara looked uneasily at Yuusuke, not knowing how to bring up this topic of conversation, yet feeling compelled to do so. "Oi, Urameshi. Did you notice anything weird about Kurama today?"  
  
Yuusuke looked up from the can he had been kicking down the road, and fixed Kuwabara with a confused stare. "I don't think so, he was his polite and charming self to Kagome, and teased all of us, in his usual good humor. Why?"  
  
Kuwabara gave a slight nod, not feeling entirely reassured by his comrade's observations. "I don't know, I just felt something...odd...with my reikan. Maybe he was just worried about being late for the first day of school or something."  
  
Yuusuke just grinned at that. "Yeah, he has to start working on being the head of his class for the third year running. That'd stress you out I bet."  
  
The two troublemakers just continued on past Sarayashiki Jr. High, in favor of going to the arcade instead, to brush up on their 'Game Battler' skills.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kurama and Kagome made their way to Meiou High, their walk highlighted by bits of small talk about school and various other mundane subjects. Finally Kagome decided to breach the awkwardness that surrounded the two teens. "You seem to be very close to Hiei."  
  
Kurama closed his eyes momentarily, and then reopened them, wiping away any emotion from his expression. "He is my best friend. For a while, he was the only person who knew all of me, who I could truly be myself in front of."  
  
Kagome nodded at this admission, understanding lighting her deep brown eyes. "I know what you mean. Whenever I'm home, I see my friends, and have to lie about my absences, going along with the ridiculous stories that Jiichan makes up about being sick. I couldn't possibly tell any of them the truth about what I do. You four are the first ones from my time to know the truth."  
  
At this admission, Kurama sighed, wishing the girl wasn't so likable. Then maybe he wouldn't feel so guilty about his jealousy; instead he felt a kinship with her over their common bond of dual lives. He finally turned to her with a small, genuine smile. "These are burdens that are easiest carried when shared, ne? But as for now, we had best get going before the whole day is wasted!"  
  
Neither of the two teens noticed the pair of crimson eyes observing them intently from the trees above.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Flitting from tree to tree, Hiei was mulling over the various things revealed in the last hour or so, systematically cataloging every admission and reaction from all parties present. He felt odd running into someone from so far into his past, since most of his past acquaintances were not pleasant in the least. If he was truly honest with himself, he was glad that the silly ningen girl was alive. He had assumed that she had gone and gotten herself killed when she didn't show up at the aforementioned time.  
  
Hn, Hiei thought. That baka kitsune was acting strangely the whole time. He kept getting distracted and drifting off during the conversation. Those sorts of actions will get him killed. He was fine during the battle earlier today...  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
The battle was easy, would have been over in moments, but they took their time, enjoying themselves with a simple task after having dealt with the stressful challenges of the Ankoku Buujuitsukai. All four of us take our turns, teasing the doomed youkai into a drawn-out fight, hoping for something of a challenge. Kurama and I were as we always were in a fight; side-by-side, back-to-back, our skills complementing and feeding off one another as only seems to happen when he and I fight together.  
  
He gets this look in his eyes, a spark, a feeling of completion and contentment when we are like this; as if he knows that this is perfection. This is not just mere fighting, it is a dance; a waltz of death, endless. Rhythm is kept by the beating of our hearts, the rasp of our breath, the crack of his whip and the slash of my katana. It is strange that in times of battle I feel the most at peace with myself, but that is the paradox of my life. I am the Forbidden Child, and nothing in my life has been 'normal', per se.  
  
~*End Flashback*~  
  
Hiei was somewhat surprised to find himself stopped in a tree outside of Kurama's school, since he had made no conscious effort to head in that direction. It was far enough away to not be directly on top of the idiotic, shrieking ningens, but close enough to monitor for any youkai activity nearby. He seemed to find himself waiting here quite often. The rationalization behind this was the fact that there wasn't exactly all that much for him to do while stuck here in the Ningenkai.  
  
Suddenly a familiar voice floated up to him. "He is my best friend. For a while, he was the only person who knew all of me, who I could truly be myself in front of." Kurama, Hiei thought to himself. He continued to listen as the two of them continued their conversation. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Kurama give Kagome a small, but genuine smile, a rare gift to someone outside their circle. Accompanying his widened eyes was a slight tightening in his chest. Now what the hell was that about?!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Botan stood in front of Koenma's desk, looking quite nervous. The heir to the throne of Hell got an odd look on his face after she mentioned the demon Naraku that Yuusuke inquired about, and promptly turned into his teenage form. "Botan, you need to get Yuusuke and the others in here as soon as they get out of their classes, along with that Kagome girl as well. The fate of the three worlds could very well hang in the balance here." 


	3. meeting Koenma

Title: Love Can Purify the Coldest Flame Author: Alexis – mezzomonkey@earthlink.net Pairings: eventual Inuyasha+Kagome; eventual Hiei+Kurama; Miroku+Sango; Yuusuke+Keiko Rating: let's just say R to play things safe, yes? Warnings: hmm...crossover, AU, shounen ai/yaoi, het, potential bad language, some degree of violence, fangirly Japanese, corny jokes, sap, angst of the romantic nature, blah blah blah. Disclaimer: Don't own them, this has been thoroughly established already. Our little discussions on this are getting tedious, ne?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome sighed as the end of the day was signaled; eternally grateful for the respite she was granted. Even after the warning she received from Yuusuke, she wasn't nearly prepared for the irritating, simpering, backstabbing girls (and some guys) that flooded around her and "Shuuichi" when they arrived at school.  
  
Running a hand through her bangs, Kagome turned around and nearly ran into her old shadow, the walking encyclopedia of homegrown medical remedies, Hojo. "Higurashi-san! Daijoubu desu ka?"  
  
"Hojo-kun! Daijoubu; I didn't know that you would be going here." Kagome looked at this boy that her friends always insisted that she should give a chance to, hoping to feel something, but there were still only the faintest stirrings of friendship in her heart.  
  
"I was certainly glad when I heard that you would be attending. I thought there would only be your friend Ayumi here." Hojo then treated her with a smile that she would have found quite attractive, if she weren't already drawn to one that showed a hint of fang, along with sparkling golden eyes.  
  
Kurama chose that moment to enter the classroom with Botan in tow. "Kagome- san! Botan-chan just caught up with me. We're supposed to go meet up with Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei." Finally noticing Hojo, Kurama smiled and introduced himself. "Ano, sumimasen. Watashi wa Minamino Shuuichi desu. Yoroshiku."  
  
Hojo returned the first meeting pleasantries, all the while wondering how Kagome had met this upper-classman along with his friends, all of whom he had never heard of before. With her always being sick, it seemed impossible for her to have made new acquaintances.  
  
"I'm sorry Hojo-kun; we really do have to be going. I'll see you soon though. Ja ne!" Kagome then walked out with Kurama and Botan, an even bigger fuss being made by Kurama's fan club than this morning, since there was another girl with them, one wearing a uniform from another school.  
  
Once they were leaving school grounds, Botan spoke up. "Sorry to drag you away like this, but Koenma-sama requested that you all come to the Reikai as soon as school was done. Something seems to be terribly wrong, and we still need to get Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei."  
  
Hiei decided to choose that moment to jump down from his tree a few feet in front of the group, announcing his presence. "What mess has the toddler gotten himself into this time?"  
  
Being used to Hiei's abrupt entrances, Kagome was the only one who was startled by him dropping out of nowhere. "I'm not sure exactly, but I think it has something to do with the demon, Naraku, that you asked me to speak with him about. As soon as I mentioned the name, he kind of froze, and then shifted into his teenage form, demanding to speak with you all as soon as possible, including Kagome-chan here."  
  
At the mention of Naraku's name, Hiei's eyes glinted dangerously, along with a barely perceptible raise of his ki, which Kurama noticed right away, storing these reactions for later analysis. "Well, the sooner that we find Yuusuke and Kuwabara, the sooner we can find out just what is going on here."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yuusuke and Kuwabara were at the arcade getting whipped by a ten-year-old on "Game Battler", and getting more and more frustrated with themselves as the each round passed.  
  
"Oi, gaki, how did you get so good at this? Do you live in the game or something?" Kuwabara ran a frustrated hand through his hair, shocked at the indignity that he was being beaten by a child. Yuusuke just rolled his eyes, used to Kuwabara's antics.  
  
The pair of delinquents looked up when they felt familiar youki, and saw Hiei and Kurama, along with Botan and Kagome waiting outside the arcade for them. The two shrugged and said their goodbyes before leaving.  
  
"Did the toddler get himself kidnapped again? Was there a theft of some Reikai treasures that need to be retrieved? Rampaging youkai loose in the streets? Another tournament, so I can kick some ass?" At this, Botan just grabbed Yuusuke's wrist and dragged him around to the side of the building, the others following.  
  
"I don't know what's up exactly, but we all have to go to the Reikai to meet with Koenma-sama. It's something to do with that demon, Naraku. Hayaku, ikimashoo!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The four Reikai Tantei, along with Botan and Kagome, entered Koenma's office and were confronted with a teenage-form Koenma barking out orders to George. "I need that book right now! I don't care if you have to turn the whole library upside down to find it. It's imperative that I have it right away."  
  
Botan cleared her throat to get his attention. "Botan! I see you brought everyone with you; this must be Higurashi Kagome. I'm sorry we had to meet like this, but we have a crisis." Koenma went to sit at his desk and picked up the remote to his vid screen, where he clicked up a picture of Naraku.  
  
"Now this is the demon that you had mentioned to me earlier this morning. Apparently he has been laying low for the past few hundred years, staying within the borders of the Makai, and not really doing anything to draw the attention of the Reikai. Recent events have brought him to our attention. He has teamed up with Sensui Shinobu. Sensui found a group of people with extraordinary abilities, and it is their goal to open up a hole to the Makai, therefore wiping out all human life." Koenma then clicked to a picture of Sensui, which they all studied.  
  
Kurama took this moment to cut in, "I thought that that was what Sakyo was going to do after the Ankoku Bujuitsuukai? Was Sensui working with him? I don't recognize him from the tournament." The others also looked puzzled, not recognizing the face on the vid screen.  
  
"I'm not quite sure what Naraku has to do with this, he doesn't possess all of the Shikon no Tama, which is what he had always been pursuing in the past. He had this deep desire to defile the jewel, and was very manipulative of those around him. If anything, I would say that he's using Sensui and the others for his own ends."  
  
Koenma nodded at this, "That may very well be the reasoning behind his involvement, but only time will tell. What I think may be the best thing to do is to see about getting your friends from the past here to work with the Tantei in stopping this. I feel that this may be too big a job for just the four of you."  
  
Hiei snorted, and Yuusuke rolled his eyes, both doubting that statement. Kagome nibbled on her lower lip, thinking. "Inuyasha was the only one besides me who was able to travel through the well. I don't know how we could get the others here."  
  
Koenma closed his eyes in deep thought, trying to think of a solution. "Let me look into this, and I will contact you when I come up with a solution. You should probably inform your friends of what is going on, and then all of you should pay a visit to Genkai."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Back at the well house, Kagome turned to her new friends. "You won't be able to come with me through the well, which is probably a good thing. I don't think it would be a good idea if Hiei ended up meeting his past self. It might end up being very awkward. I'll explain what's going on, and then be back with Inuyasha."  
  
At this Hiei snorted. Great, he thought. I get to see that stupid dog boy again. The past few centuries have been a great deal less irritating without him around. Oh well, as long as he doesn't get in my way; I must end what I started.  
  
Kagome then waved goodbye and jumped into the well, a blue light enveloping her. Even after hearing her story just that morning, the others were still surprised at how she just vanished into the well.  
  
Kurama leaned against the wall and looked at Hiei. "This youkai, Inuyasha, what is he like? Is this someone that we will be able to work well with?"  
  
Contemplating this for a moment, Hiei then answered, "He's arrogant, but very protective of his friends. He possesses a very interesting sword that appears to have some magical ability to do with youki, and has much experience fighting Naraku. On the other hand, he is brash and very young; not even a century."  
  
This caused Kurama to roll his eyes, anticipating the confrontations that would be ahead of them. "Well, I'm just glad that I can now change between Shuuichi and Youko at will. I'll need that in the battles to come."  
  
Kuwabara and Yuusuke remembered seeing Youko in action at the Ankoku Bujuitsuukai; so much more powerful and colder than the Kurama they had known up until then. They then looked at each other and grinned, anticipating the battles to come, but still feeling the seriousness that was required.  
  
The four Tantei settled in, not knowing how long they would have to wait until Kagome showed up with Inuyasha.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome appeared at the bottom of the well, and then made her way to Kaede's village. Just outside Kaede's hut, Shippo latched onto Kagome in a big hug. "'Kaachan! You're back already; you said that you wouldn't be back for 4 more days. Where's your pack? Do you have to leave again?"  
  
She was slightly overwhelmed at her adopted kit's rushed questions. "Shippo-chan, I have to talk to Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango. Do you know where they are?"  
  
Shippo nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! Sango smacked Miroku really hard, and ended up having to take him to Kaede. They're in there right now. Inuyasha is...um...over there I think." Kagome followed the direction that Shippo was pointing, which led right to the Goshinboku. Telling him she would be right back, she went to try and meet up with her favorite hanyou.  
  
Inuyasha was sitting in the high branches of one of the surrounding trees, staring at the place where he was sealed for 50 years, deep in thought. He was missing Kagome more than he usually did when she went home, and it was bothering him. He couldn't figure out what was making this time different than the others. He always missed her, he needed her there to help retrieve the shards of the Shikon no Tama, but he also needed her there because she was his friend.  
  
Suddenly he smelled a familiar scent wafting in the breeze and he jumped down from his perch right as Kagome reached her destination. "Inuyasha! I'm so glad that I found you. I need to speak with you, as well as Miroku and Sango. It's about Naraku; apparently he's becoming active in my time."  
  
At the mention of his nemesis' name, he snarled, fangs glinting in the sunlight. He grabbed her arm and put her on his back, so that they could hurry back to the village and find out what was going on.  
  
Upon reaching Kaede's hut, they entered to the usual argument between Miroku and Sango, with Kaede acting as a referee, and Shippo watching from the corner with barely restrained laughter. Everyone in the hut immediately became quiet, and then there was another burst of chatter, directed at Kagome this time.  
  
"Kagome-chan! I thought you wouldn't be back for a few days yet, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Kagome-sama, you must not have been able to bear being away from me for so long. I understand your need to return quickly." This of course was said by Miroku, which earned him another smack from Sango.  
  
"Kagome-sama, I am glad to see you again, although I am sure it is not friendly circumstances that bring you back to us so quickly after your returning home."  
  
Kagome just shook her head and gestured for everyone to have a seat. "No, I'm afraid it's not good news at all. Anou, it's hard to think of where to start this precisely, but Hiei, see I met him again in my time. Actually more like I was late for school and ran right into one of his friends, but that's another story altogether. Okay, well maybe I'm not explaining this too well. In my time, ningens and youkai are in separate worlds I guess you could call them, and the Reikai has a group of Tantei that protect the Ningenkai from youkai attacks. Hiei and his friends do that, and they just discovered that Naraku has allied himself with some other people who are planning to rip open the barrier between the worlds, allowing all the youkai to come in and kill all the people of my time. They want us all to come back there, and help them defeat them."  
  
She looked expectantly around the room, taking in everyone's reactions. Kaede looked thoughtful; Shippo looked excited at the prospect of seeing where his 'kaachan lived. Miroku and Sango exchanged looks that were a mixture of trepidation and determination, whereas Inuyasha just looked ready to go and kick some ass. Miroku then got a puzzled look on his face, and turned to Kagome. "How do we get to your time, if only Inuyasha has been able to travel through the well besides you?"  
  
"Oh! Sorry, Koenma-sama, he's in charge of the Reikai Tantei, he's looking into a way to be able to bring you to my time. I'm sure he'll find something very soon, and as for now, Inuyasha can come back with me and meet everyone. Is that alright with you Inuyasha?"  
  
"Feh, of course it is! That little brat better not get in my way though, with his puny sword. I don't want to end up with a whole other group of people who I have to worry about saving." Everyone else exchanged matching grins at this declaration, knowing that Inuyasha was just being Inuyasha.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The pair climbed out of the well, Inuyasha surveying the four boys that were there waiting for them. Kagome smiled at her new-found friends. "Everyone this is Inuyasha."  
  
Kurama took the lead again in the introductions, walking up to the newcomer and making a small bow. "Kurama desu. Yoroshiku. That is Yuusuke, our hapless-" At this point there was a loud objection from Yuusuke. "I mean, fearless, leader. That is Kuwabara, though I don't know how much he'll like you; he has more of a thing for cats." "Oi!" "And of course, you know Hiei already. That's our group, we're glad to be working with you." He finished this off with a soft smile that didn't entirely mask the calculating look in his eyes.  
  
Yuusuke felt it a good time to cut in, "Hey Kurama, he's got ears like yours! No tail, though." This statement earned him twin glares from both Kurama and Inuyasha. He then stuck his nose up in the air, indignant, and shifted to his Youko form. He towered over the others at a lofty seven feet, and smirked at Yuusuke, raising one silver brow and wagging his tail in his friend's direction.  
  
Hiei stared openly at his friend's larger, more muscular body. The white diaphanous robes he wore in that form hid nothing and revealed the same beauty he possessed as Shuuichi, just colder, ice to the fire of his human body's red tresses.  
  
Kagome squealed in delight at the change. "Wai! Can I touch your ears and your tail too! They're so amazing, just like Shippo-chan, but his are more auburn, not that beautiful silver."  
  
Kurama looked surprised, and then mischievous. "Ears and tail, hm? How about tails?"  
  
Kagome looked puzzled, and then all of a sudden, there was a beautiful silver fox at her feet with no less than five tails. She giggled when the fox yipped at her, bending down to take it up in her arms, rubbing the ears and then petting the silky coat. "Kirei...what a gorgeous little fox you make! This makes me want to get a pet." Meanwhile, Kurama was making a sound akin to a purr, his tongue lolling out of his mouth at the attention he was being given.  
  
Inuyasha was glaring golden daggers at the kitsune in Kagome's arms, and surprisingly enough there was a crimson stare leveled at him as well. "We're supposed to be going to Genkai-shihan's, or did someone forget?"  
  
Yuusuke and Kuwabara groaned in unison at this. "Do we have to go see 'Baasan?" This prompted Kuwabara to laugh, "You just don't want her kicking your ass!"  
  
Kurama yipped and jumped out of Kagome's arms, shifting back into his human form. "You just always have to ruin my fun, don't you, Hiei?" Looking back at the two delinquents, who were now tussling on the floor, and then to their new partners, who were watching with a sense of horrified amusement. "Well, we might as well get going now; they can finish their fight at the temple." 


End file.
